GameFounders: An Accelerator For European Game Startups

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There’s a new startup accelerator in town, and by town, I mean Estonia. The accelerator is called GameFounders, and it’s looking to accept up to 10 gaming startups in its inaugural class.

GameFounders says it’s the first European accelerator to focus on game developers. It’s offering an investment of 15,000 euros in exchange for 9 percent of the company, and you don’t need to have formed a company, as long as your team is willing to incorporate after it joins GameFounders. The accelerator is open to any kind of game, as long as it has already launched (even if it’s only in beta). At the same time, the website notes that “it is more likely at the moment for mobile games to get investments.”

Oh, and it’s not limited to Estonian companies either. Why would startups elsewhere want to move to Tallinn, the Estonian capital where GameFounders is based? Again, from the website:

For a start, Estonia is probably the easiest place to start a business. You count the time time you need to establish a limited company in minutes, the time you need to open a bank account in hours and the time you need to get all the other paperwork (VAT numbers and such) in days. And when you have spent those few days to get the business up and running, there is an abundance of funds, both local and EU, available for you to boost your business.

The accelerator was founded by Kadri Ugand, Lauri Antalainen, Sven Illing, and Paul Bragiel — Bragiel is probably the most recognizable name, at least to US readers, since founded Lefora and is currently a partner at San Francisco-based incubators i/o ventures. GameFounders also says that it has a network of more than 60 mentors, mostly from the US and Finland.

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BioPaul Bragiel is a co-founder and managing partner at i/o ventures, an early stage startup accelerator which operates out of a funky workspace+cafe in San Francisco.
Previous he has founded and served as the CEO of 3 companies including:
Lefora, a product bringing forums into the 21st century, proudly hosting over 100,000+ unique communities. Meetro, the first location based social network. Paragon …